Saturday, January 28, 2017

Every
day I see fb posts from people who say the election is over; it’s time to shut up
and move on.Well, the election is over,
but I still love this country and the principles that America stands for. I’m
still a proud American who appreciates the sacrifices that have been made to
achieve the freedom and justice we enjoy today.And I’m still a Christian who strives each day to do justly, love mercy
and walk humbly with my God.And I
intend to continue standing up for the things I love and making my voice heard
when I see those things being threatened, especially when they’re threatened by
duly elected officials. SC

Whether our President is Donald Trump or Howdy
Doody, there are strings attached. The President’s authority is subject to the
will of the people. Our democratic republic provides all variety of safeguards in
order to assure that no branch of government, including the Executive branch,
ignores the voices of our electorate. Through the access available to us
through the Legislative branch, our senators and our congressmen, we the people
continue to pull the strings, and are ultimately responsible for our government
and its effectiveness. If our government runs amuck, we have no one to blame
but ourselves. Be peaceful, civil and respectful, but be vigilant, and honor
your responsibility as a citizen.This
is not a time to be silent and blame others. SC

Sunday, January 22, 2017

We will now experience firsthand what befalls
a nation when one third of its voting populace prefers fake news, prevarications, conspiracy
theories and innuendo over hard, cold facts. This should be enlightening.

It’s being suggested that we should wait and
see. Should we wait until Social Security and all federal agencies are privatized
or defunded? Should we wait until women’s rights are entirely dismantled?Should we wait until peaceful protest is
criminalized? Should we wait until environmental safeguards and the planet are irreversibly
devastated? Should we wait until people are denied the right to vote based on their
income or ethnicity? Should we wait until the results of our elections are influenced
by outside entities who share none of our American values? Should we wait until
public schools are abolished? Should we wait until bigotry, intolerance and
discrimination are government policy? Should we wait until health insurance is
only available to the very wealthy?Should we wait until tax breaks for the 1% have
drained the last dime from our economy and most Americans are homeless, hungry,
desperate, and prepared to do whatever is necessary in order to feed their
families? How long can we afford to
wait?Truth, Justice, and The American Way
have taken quite a beating, but the pursuit of liberty continues, and the dream
shall never die. SC

Friday, January 20, 2017

Picture a donkey and an elephant, joined at
the hip and sharing vital organs.It’s
unavoidably ungainly and not particularly attractive, but it’s how democracy
works. Our hope, our destiny and our challenge are to work together. Our unity is essential to our success. SC

Wednesday, January 18, 2017

We’re cautioned against consuming the
contents of our Bible cafeteria style, meaning, selecting only our favorite
morsels and disregarding the rest. While I don’t disagree with that admonition,
the truly essential ingredient in scripture is Christ’s message of hope, faith
and charity. If taken outside the context of Christ’s message of love, many
scriptures can be easily misconstrued. There are far too many people in the
world today who’ve been led to believe that being gut-wrenchingly conservative
is essentially the same thing as following the Savior. Suffice it to say, I
respectfully disagree. In my humble opinion, if your actions don’t show Christ’s compassion and mercy, best dust
off your Bible, because you’re not following Christ. SC

Friday, January 13, 2017

It’s much
the same dream that began in the minds and hearts of America’s Founding Fathers.
It’s a vision, a hope, a goal and a passion which began to materialize when our
forefathers first set foot on the shores of this remarkable country. It’s alive
and well today in the hearts of many. It’s The American Dream.It’s a belief that people of every
conceivable faith, origin, and ethnicity can join together and find peace, acceptance,
common purpose, and strength through that diversity, and in doing so, form a
government of, by, and for a people, unified by their diverse faiths and their
mutual pursuit of liberty and justice for all. It’s dedicated to the
proposition that all people are created equal, that they are endowed by their
Creator with certain unalienable rights, and that among these are life, liberty
and the pursuit of happiness. Many have
dedicated their lives to this proposition. It’s a proposition that a person
could proudly die for. It’s the dream of a society where each and every
individual has the right and the responsibility to pursue and participate in policies
and practices which assure fair and equitable treatment of all their fellow citizens.
It’s a vision of, not just a shining city on a hill, but an entire country
where devoted citizens appreciate their own liberty, uphold and defend the
liberty of others, and dedicate themselves to the great and noble task before us,
that this nation, under God, shall have a new
birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the
people, shall not perish from the earth.SC

Tuesday, January 3, 2017

Sunday, January 1, 2017

The very first day of 2017 is probably a good time to once again share my
testimony. I’m a proud American and an unapologetic follower of Christ. I
believe in doing justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with my God, and I
respect the rights of others to walk with theirs. I’m blessed to be a citizen
of a country that cherishes and upholds the principles of liberty and justice
for all. I am not called as a follower of Christ to force others to conform to
my view of morality. I’m called to walk the path I’m given in the light I’m
given, and to share that light with those who’ll have it. If you glimpse in any
of my humble and imperfect efforts the reflection of a merciful and
compassionate Savior and follow Christ as a result, I’m gratified. If you do
not, that’s my shortcoming not yours.

I believe many would agree that
2016 has been a long, tumultuous, transitional year.It remains to be seen what that transition
will produce. In any case, our challenge in 2017 is to salve our expectations
of what might have been, and reconcile ourselves to what is. With that in mind,
what are my expectations, resolutions, and goals for the New Year? Throughout
my life, I’ve had the good fortune of membership in some remarkably successful and
rewarding groups and clubs.In each
instance, these groups had several things in common. They were comprised of
people who were prepared to set goals, participate, and achieve results, with
the expectation that they would pay dues based on their ability, and share equally
in the responsibilities and the benefits. They were dedicated to addressing the
needs of every member, and the greater good of the group. Each member agreed to
adhere to basic rules of civil behavior, and each group selected members,
officers, or representatives who were given authority to enforce the rules and
pursue the goals of the group. When followed, this simple arrangement can prove
successful on any level, whether the group is family, community, city, state, or
national. Sadly, there are always those who abuse the privilege of membership by
thwarting the efforts of other members and refusing to pay their dues, while
taking full advantage of the benefits.My
goal in 2017 is to pay my dues, exercise responsible stewardship and citizenship,
continue my support for civic minded citizens, and pay forward the benefits of
being an American. I wish you a happy, healthy, harmonious 2017. SC